Chapter 23

WORMHOLE OF WISDOM

Library, House of Fourteen, Santa Monica, California, United States

As Gen stepped into the library, her breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening at the sight of the cavernous expanse that stretched out before her. Towering shelves of gleaming, leather-bound volumes rose up like massive trees. It seemed like the branches reached towards a ceiling that was painted with a starry, enchanted sky.

The air hummed with a palpable energy. Everywhere she looked, the library pulsed with a life of its own. The very walls seemed to breathe.

Winding staircases spiraled up into the darkness. Their steps were worn smooth by the passage of countless people, searching for books. Narrow bridges spanned dizzying openings, connecting the complicated levels in a web of intricate, ever-changing pathways.

Gen’s heart raced as she tried to make sense of the chaos before her, the sheer vastness of the library threatening to overwhelm her senses. Shadows danced at the edge of her vision, and she swore she could hear the faint whisper of voices. It reminded Gen of the warning that Liv had given her about the confusing aspects of the library. One had to remain focused or they’d risk getting lost by the magic of the place.

“We have to focus on what we are looking for,” Gen said, reminding Jack of the instructions she’d given him on their way up to the library in the House of Fourteen. “I think it’s more complicated with two people but I don’t think you can be here without me.”

He nodded. “We just keep thinking about finding Rakurai and allow the library to guide us. That seems direct enough.”

She was grateful for his optimistic perspective. “A positive aspect is that it will probably be harder for us both to get lost. We just have to follow the clues.”

“And if we do get lost, then we’re together.” He winked at her, flirtatiously. “And what clues are we looking for?” Jack looked around, a mesmerized look in his eyes.

“I really don’t know. All I know is that we focus on what we want and go forward.”

“Okay, then let’s do this,” he said with excitement. “I’m focused.”

“Me too,” she replied. With a tentative step, Gen felt the weight of the library’s magic pressing down upon her, the very air crackling with the potential for discovery and the danger of losing oneself entirely. Ghostly figures flitted between the stacks, their translucent forms dissolving into mist as Gen drew near, leaving her to wonder if they were guides or warnings. They could be phantoms of knowledge or harbingers of doom. Or they could also be distractions to break her concentration on what they were looking for.

As she ventured deeper into the library, the paths before her seemed to shift and change. Jack stayed close to her side, seeming as surprised by this as she was. The shelves rearranged themselves in a dizzying kaleidoscope of leather and parchment. It was simply overwhelming and made it all the more difficult to keep their focus. It was like the library was playing a game with them, trying to see if they were worthy of having that which they sought—she dearly hoped so.

Gen’s pulse pounded in her ears. Her palms were slick with sweat. Suddenly, this challenge of finding the sword felt much more difficult than she’d anticipated. However, Gen didn’t allow that to deter her. And she definitely wasn’t going to allow that worry to distract her.

Still, she was overwhelmed by the true nature of the challenge that lay before her. To find the sword, she would have to navigate not only the physical labyrinth of the library but the twisting, turning landscape of her own thoughts and desires. With a deep breath, Gen braced herself, calling upon the reserves of courage and determination that had brought her this far.

She knew that the path ahead would be fraught with peril, that the library would test her in ways she hadn’t been tested before. But she also knew that somewhere within this enchanted maze lay what she’d come for, the weapon that was meant for Jack and apparently needed a purpose after years of lying dormant.

In unison with Jack, Gen turned another corner, rounding a tall bookshelf. That’s when they were both surprised to meet a laid-open book, lying on the floor before them. That wasn’t the strange part. What was weird was that poking its head out of a round hole in the pages of the book was a friendly-looking worm. And even more bizarre was that it smiled at them and spoke.

“I’m here to tell you where what you seek is lying,” the worm sang. “So if you’re ready, settle in to hear a tale as old as time and as new as the freshly sprouted hairs on your head. Through the words I speak is the only way to find the sword hidden among my books…”